Tag Archive for "black strat" tag

It’s the 25th anniversary of David’s second solo album, ‘About Face’ – released on this day in 1984 by Harvest and Columbia – so I’d like to know… whatever you feel like saying about it, really.

Some interesting facts about those that helped contribute to it would be nice.

Highlights for me: that unmistakeable guitar tone on ‘Murder’, the delicate pace and effective delivery of those touching ‘Near the End’ lyrics, and the late Michael Kamen working his magic yet again with the National Philharmonic, on ‘Let’s Get Metaphysical’.

It’s also the last day of bidding for the signed Strat. Current price: $2,600. You’ll need $3,100 to top that and have approximately eight-and-a-half hours to do so.

A very Happy Birthday to Susan and Thomas, as well.

On this day in 1958, which I find staggering, the first Gibson Flying V was shipped from a factory in the wonderfully-named Kalamazoo, Michigan.

A recognisable design, often copied, it’s been favoured mostly by shredders – such as Kirk Hammett and Michael Schenker – and was the guitar of choice for many a thrash metal act in the Eighties.

That said, Jimi played one at the Isle of Wight festival, and blues legend Albert King, perhaps its most famous player, even has a Flying V on his gravestone.

Here he is, playing ‘The Grass Ain’t No Greener’.

Although obviously a fan of Gibsons, having used a 1956 Les Paul Goldtop for much of the ‘On an Island’ project, I’m told that David doesn’t have a Flying V in his collection.

I wonder which are your favourite, and least favourite, guitars; the best and worst, if you will, both to play and look at. Which is most sought-after? If money were no object, and you wouldn’t get arrested for trying to steal anyone else’s prized possession, which would you choose?

If you’ve got snaps of your guitar online, include a link so that we can have a look.

Not knowing the first two things about guitars, I’ll just say that red ones are best and presumptuously file this post under ‘Signature Strat/Strings’ to be blindly supportive (although Jimi Hendrix’s hand-painted ‘Psychedelic’ V is quite a sight).

It’s hard to believe that such a modern design could be over 50 years old, don’t you think? It seems well ahead of its time to me.

Happy Birthday to Pete for tomorrow, and enjoy the weekend, everyone.

Sony BMG have generously donated a Fender Stratocaster – not the acclaimed black Strat, but it’s both black and a Strat and, above all, signed by David – to support Musicians on Call; a non-profit organisation using music to assist in the healing process, not only for the actual patients, but also their families and carers.

You can see all the details here. Bidding ends in a fortnight’s time: 5 March.

If you do happen to place the winning bid, please be aware that you will be responsible for all shipping/handling/insurance costs, as well as customs fees and import duties if outside the USA.

How do you think this auction will pan out, considering the precarious balance of the current economic climate? Obviously, people are tightening their purse strings right now and luxuries are of secondary importance to many, which could turn out to be a great shame for the beneficiary.

Or could this perhaps be a comparative bargain waiting to be snapped up by someone who has hitherto delayed placing their order for a Signature model? Admittedly, there are still two weeks to go before the auction’s close, but there hasn’t been much activity in the last week, with the bidding held at $1,300.

What do you think? Will clever fanciers place their bids in the last hour or so?

You can find out more about the David Gilmour Signature Strat here, including its history and some rather fetching wallpaper to smarten up your desktop (or just make you want a guitar that looks like David’s even more).

The January edition of France’s Guitarist & Bass magazine has now been added to the archives, if you care to take a look. December’s Guitar Part is also there, also in French.

If you can’t read them, don’t worry; it’s much the same as what has appeared in similar magazines recently. These can also be found in the archives.

Press from all over the world is always gratefully received. If you happen to spot anything, and can scan it for others to read, please do.

Thanks again for all your contributions to this archive to date.

Just a reminder that the Amazon prize draw for US residents closes tomorrow – Wednesday 17 December – at 23:59 (EST).

If you want to be in with a chance of winning a David Gilmour Signature Strat, be sure to enter (US residents only, sorry).

The best of luck to you.

The deadline for the UK-only draw is 23:59 (GMT) on Sunday 21 December. Click here to put your name into the hat.

The prize is the same and, again, good luck.

The chatroom will be open for another 30 minutes or so. If you’ve nothing better to do right now, drop in.

The final (extended) chat of the year is on Thursday – from 14:00 until 18:00 (UK).

28/11: There is now a draw for US fans, too.

Some of you might like to know about a contest that the nice people at Amazon UK are holding right now.

The prize is a David Gilmour Fender Stratocaster.

The prize draw is open to entrants who are resident in the UK only, aged 18 and over. All you have to do is fill in a simple form.

You have until the end of Sunday 21 December to submit the necessary details.

If you’re not already looking at the contest page, click here to go there right away.

Duplicate entries, of course, are not permitted.

Good luck to all who enter, and thanks to eagle-eyed Lynn for letting me know about this competition.

This is Barbara’s dog, Hunter Beaudreaux, who was adopted by Barbara after his original family lost everything thanks to Hurricane Katrina.

He’s lovely, Barbara. Thanks for sending your picture in.

If your pet will pose for a photo, and doesn’t mind you sneaking in something DG-related, we’d love to see your furry, feathered or flakey friend here. Just get your picture online and include its URL with your comment.

Don’t forget that extended ‘Live in GdaÅ„sk’ on VH1 Classic (US-only) tomorrow, from 17:00 (EST)…

Nor your last chance in the UK – unless you’re in Wales* – to see the final part of ‘The Story of the Guitar’ (on TV, anyway): BBC4, Friday, 23:00 (UK).

* It’s on BBC2 Wales on Sunday 26 October at 23:20 (UK).

Here’s the first of our bloggers to own the David Gilmour Stratocaster.

Thanks, Johnnie. Your comments after the best part of a week spent getting a feel for your new guitar are very welcome.

If you’ve ordered one, we’d love to hear from you (not least to find out if your book was autographed, as it should have been). If you’ve played one in-store, how was it?

If you haven’t visited Fender’s microsite yet, it tells you everything you could possibly wish to know about this guitar, including its history in timeline form and, of course, where you can get your hands on one.

The Mexican Strat, painted by Gerald Scarfe, signed by Pink Floyd and being auctioned in aid of Crisis, by the way, is currently at £15,500. Bidding ends on 31 October at 11:00 (UK).

The chatroom is open today from 15:00 (UK). Everyone is welcome. There’s another chat on Wednesday, this time from 13:00 (UK), if that suits you better.

If you haven’t yet seen it, Fender’s microsite for the David Gilmour Stratocaster is now up, so have a butcher’s.

A break from the fine Piotr Tarasewicz GdaÅ„sk shots for today. This one’s another of Frank’s, from Leicester Square last year.

You too could be striking that very same pose with your own black Strat soon (ish). Probably not a good idea to try striking it in Leicester Square, though. You know what crowds are like.

Thanks again, Frank.

Just a reminder that there’s more from Later… with Jools Holland tomorrow night on BBC2, as well as an hour from the GdaÅ„sk gig and a 30-minute documentary (on BBC4).

That might interest a few more of you now that many poor souls are still waiting for their postie to deliver their five-disc bundle of joy. (You’ll have yours before Friday night, I’m sure.)

For those of you thinking of downloading the album from iTunes, now you’ll only get ‘Wot’s…’ if you’re in Europe. (Sorry!)

The word is that the new release date for Poland is Monday. Please take that with a pinch of salt, just in case. It does sound wildly optimistic, no offence to EMI Poland.

Saturday is still the all-important day for Australia, and Monday for France and the vinyl.

By the way, SoundStage Direct’s price for the LPs is now $98.99 (US).

‘Live in GdaÅ„sk’ is out in some parts of Europe tomorrow. Likely countries are Austria, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, the Republic of Ireland and Switzerland, but please check before you head out.

The release date for Australia has been pushed back to Saturday 27 September.

The vinyl set is now $99.99 from SoundStage Direct (with free domestic shipping).

Waterloo Records – of Austin, Texas – have prices of $17.97, $31.47 and $44.97. This includes the ‘Wot’s…’ CD while supplies last, although they promise to let you know before your order is processed if they do run out.

The Disc Exchange (Knoxville, Tennessee) and Euclid Records (St Louis, Missouri) ship worldwide, so contact them for a price.

‘A Great Day For Freedom’ has just been added to David’s MySpace.

Tickets are still available to see the GdaÅ„sk concert at the cinema. That’s on Monday night.

The DG Strat is still on schedule, but please don’t expect to get your hands on yours until at least October. The manufacturing process is a very slow one and demand has been great.

The ‘Flashback: Ritzy‘ post has re-opened, so, if you want to talk about that…

And finally, the chatroom will be open tomorrow, between 14:00 and 16:00 (UK).

This is the cover of the second (hardback) edition of Phil Taylor’s book, ‘The Black Strat: A History of David Gilmour’s Black Fender Stratocaster’.

Published by Hal Leonard, it will be available from all good retailers, and probably some rubbish ones, from 22 September.

It has a changed layout, a total of 160 pages (that’s 36 more than the first edition) and some previously unseen photographs.

Please note that this is not the one which comes included with the David Gilmour Stratocaster; that’s the first (softback) edition, which is no longer available.

Should anyone be waiting for some official comment about the price of the Signature Strat(s), please don’t, because, clearly, none is forthcoming. The prices are here, in the Fender Custom Shop’s latest catalogue. Your local music shop should be able to help you further.

The chatroom is closed today, but open tomorrow from 11:00 (UK).

Here it is: the long-awaited Gilmour Signature Strat.

It has the same maple neck, black pickguard, shortened tremolo arm and custom electronics as the original and comes presented in a black case with centre pocket, snazzy green lining and Fender Custom Shop embroidery.

First, the good news.

It will be released on 22 September. That’s September this year.

Now, the bad news.

‘Live in GdaÅ„sk’ will be pushed back a week for a same-date release.

However, the three-disc version (live double CD, plus concert DVD) will be stuffed into said centre pocket.

The hardback edition of Phil Taylor’s ‘The Black Strat: A History of David Gilmour’s Black Fender Stratocaster’ will also be released on 22 September, a signed, softback copy of which will also be found inside the guitar case.

A set of GHS strings will also be included, as well as an Evidence Audio cable, as used by David. You even get a deluxe Fender strap and a David Gilmour plectrum thrown in.

And, before you ask… No, I don’t know how much it will cost, but hope that a firm date and photo will be enough to deter the doubters.

Please click the image for a closer look and, if you think you can take it, see Latest News for more excitement.

A quick note to remind you that the first edition of Phil Taylor’s book, ‘The Black Strat: A History of David Gilmour’s Black Fender Stratocaster’, will no longer be available after 31 July.

That’s the softback edition, signed by Phil, available only from TheBlackStrat.com.

Expect more on the “expanded and updated” second edition, which will be a hardback, to follow shortly.

As per the last post about this book, ‘15 September’ is yet to be confirmed, but it is expected to be available in September.

And, as I know you’re wondering, because I can feel your eyes burning into your screens and reflecting back at me through mine…

There’s still no word on when that Signature Strat will be available from Fender. Sorry about that. But, just to keep you informed, David wants it to be of a certain (high) quality and available at a fair price. Until those terms are met by all concerned parties, there can be no further updates.

I’m sure you understand that and appreciate that there will be news on this guitar, here, at the earliest possible opportunity. That said, I do apologise for the disappointment that such uncertainty can cause.

Spanish magazine, Guitarra Total, has a six-page article about our David. Or his increasingly famous black Strat, to be more precise.

It’s available to buy, should you require your own glossy copy, in Spain, Portugal and Mexico.

If your Spanish is up to it, or if you just like looking at the pictures, please click the magazine cover.

Many thanks to Manel for kindly scanning and sending this article.

The chatroom is closed today, but will be open tomorrow between 09:00 and 11:00 (UK).

Don’t forget that part of ‘Remember That Night’ is on 3sat this afternoon…

And, as I know you’re wondering, I’m sorry to say that there is still no update on the Signature Strat. When there is one, details will be here ASAP.

Just to put a temporary dampener on things…

Phil Taylor’s book, ‘The Black Strat: A History of David Gilmour’s Black Fender Stratocaster’ will hopefully be available in hardback edition from 15 September, published by Hal Leonard.

The hardback copy will hopefully be an extended version with additional pages, but “144 pages” is not true, because the specifics have yet to be confirmed, so please take that figure with a pinch of salt.

In reality, the deal hasn’t yet been finalised, so all of the above is subject to change.

There will be an update from Phil as soon as details are official, including news of those extra pages.

You can pre-order the hardback edition from the usual online retailers – at your peril, of course – but do consider your local bookshop, if you can.

What’s not open to question is the fact that you can still order a copy of the first edition softback from TheBlackStrat.com. The price has been reduced to £15.95 and Phil is going to be signing the remaining stock.

Please note that books ordered since yesterday afternoon, and those that will be ordered right up until Phil’s supply has gone – from TheBlackStrat.com – will be signed. No books were signed prior to those ordered yesterday, when the price was reduced.

Don’t forget that the chatroom will be open from 13:00 (UK) today.

There’s a competition over at the Planet Rock website right now to win a copy of the ‘Strat Masters’ DVD. Good question, too.

The closing date is Sunday 13 April. Good luck if you decide to enter.

This competition is open to UK residents only, but the DVD can be purchased from this website, if you want it that badly.

Not far off three hours in duration, the film was produced by director, Michael Bayley Hughes, and former Guitarist magazine contributor, Bob Hewitt.

David does not contribute to the double-disc set, but you may be interested to see exclusive factory footage of Fender’s facilities in the USA and Japan, as well as Seymour Duncan taking you on a guided tour around the Santa Barbara facility where “the world’s greatest guitar pickups are made.”

Click here to see a preview.

It’s a Region-Free disc, designed to play on any modern PAL and/or NTSC DVD player, so it should play anywhere, but please check your equipment before you order.

There’s no update on the David Gilmour Signature Strat, by the way. Sorry about that. When there is one, it will be here, so please continue to be patient.

Today’s winners are Paul C (20) and Davie (72), who, respectively, win Best Buy and Borders copies of the ‘Remember That Night’ DVD. These were exclusive to the US and are Region 1, don’t forget, but they’re certainly nice items to add to the collection.

The Best Buy version comes with a three-track CD featuring ‘On An Island’, ‘Take A Breath’ and ‘High Hopes’ from the AOL sessions. The Borders version comes with a poster of David playing at Abbey Road.

Well done, both. Let me know where your prizes should be sent.

The next prize draw will be on Monday, when a copy of Phil Taylor’s fine book, ‘The Black Strat: A History Of David Gilmour’s Black Fender Stratocaster’, and some equally-fine (apparently, I don’t play) GHS strings for the guitar of your choice will be the prizes at stake.

If you don’t want to be considered for these, please say so.

Don’t forget, you can find out more about both Phil and his book at TheBlackStrat.com.

Just the one answer from Phil today, but it’s a lengthy one.

Your thoughts, as always, are most welcome.

Do you reckon it’s true that David himself is the secret to the Gilmour sound (i.e. he could pick up an 80 quid Strat copy and still sound like Gilmour, or is that just a sweeping statement used by people who find that they cannot get ‘the sound’?) (Emma)

Yes, no question, it is true. David’s choice of notes and sense of melody and timing, both the physical attack and subtleties with both hands in playing of the instrument and his setting of the equipment and control of it to work in conjunction with what he is playing. It is the combination of all this that is his sound. This said, the quality of the sound can be enhanced by using better sounding equipment. Think – does it sound like David if he is using a Telecaster, Les Paul, Gretsch Duo Jet or a Lap Steel instead of a Strat? We once did a TV show with Mark Knopfler – he used David’s Red Strat with David’s amp on David’s settings and who did he sound like? Mark Knopfler, of course. Like any great guitarist, so much of the sound is him. I have never heard anybody sound like David, because this is the real deal from the man who created it. You can only sound like yourself, perhaps trying to imitate somebody else. Like the mimicking professional parrots, such as in Roger Waters’ band or Pink Floyd cover bands, who try their best, but it does not sound like David. It is best summed up by an analogy: it is like a facsimile of an original piece of artwork.

Thank you for entering our Christmas raffle by sending in your six numbers over the weekend. Please click the image to your left see if any of them proved lucky for you.

Prize draws will take place on Wednesday and Friday of this week, Monday and Wednesday of the next.

The prizes/draws are as follows (feel free to opt-out of any draw, if you so wish):

Wednesday 12 December: Premiere Draw, four winners

One programme, from the ‘Remember That Night’ premieres, signed by David, plus an Odeon Leicester Square VIP pass. Three runner-up prizes of an unsigned programme and pass.

Friday 14 December: DVD Draw, two winners

- One Best Buy ‘Remember That Night’ DVD (Region 1), with three-track CD.
- One Borders ‘Remember That Night’ DVD (Region 1), with poster.

Monday 17 December: Guitarists’ Draw, three winners

- One copy of Phil Taylor’s book, ‘The Black Strat’.
- One set of GHS strings for the guitar of your choice: Strat or Les Paul.

Wednesday 19 December: CD Collectors’ Draw, two winners

- One three-track US radio promo CD.
- One exclusive four-track Abbey Road/PBS CD.

We kick-off this evening with a special prize draw just for the ladies.

We have two brand new, never-before-seen David Gilmour scarves – of all things – (one in navy, one in crimson), which are due for production next year.

Made in Uruguay from 100% pure lambswool, embroidered with tassels, no less, they both have the wireman logo at one end and the now-familiar ‘David Gilmour’ logo at the other. The navy one has white embroidery, the crimson one has black.

The winners of these are Lynn (42) and Stephanie (57).

Well done, both. Please let me know where your prizes should be sent.

The chatroom will be open tomorrow from 3PM (UK time), should you wish to talk about scarves, or anything else.

Here’s a bit more from Phil Taylor…

Are the red Strats modified, besides the EMG and electronics? Perhaps a pre-CBS or Callaham bridge block? (Ernest Peske)

Not currently. They have had different parts: bridge saddles, string trees and springs at times.

It’s been said that Eric Clapton retired Blackie because the guitar became unplayable. With electric guitars, and particularly Strats, being so interchangeable (swapping necks, changing electronics, etc.), can a guitar like a Strat truly become unplayable, and, if so, how much more life do you estimate is left for David’s black Strat? (Andrew)

Parts can always be replaced on a Strat. See my book ‘The Black Strat’ for all of the changes to David’s.

I was wondering, was David’s black Strat used on ‘Live at Pompeii’, or could it possibly be the Strat that El Magnifico used on last year’s tour? (Amedeo)

No, see my book, ‘The Black Strat’, for more information.

The winners of the David Gilmour GHS strings are: James Geary and Ernest Peske, who each win a set for a Strat, and Paul B and TomiSue, who each win a set for a Les Paul.

Well done, all four. Let us know where we should send your prizes.

I’d love to hear more of your thoughts on Phil’s book, ‘The Black Strat’, which many of you will have by now received. Phil has been delighted with the feedback and sends the following note:

I hope people like the book, now it is finally out there. From what I can tell, it seems generally to have been well-received. I have had some complimentary responses from people, so it’s nice to know that all the work – which I seriously under-estimated at the outset, or else I probably would not have undertaken it – is appreciated.

Remember, you can only get a copy of Phil’s book by visiting either TheBlackStrat.com or one of the UK’s main branches of Borders. Please do check with Borders before you make a special trip in their direction, as it is not stocked at all Borders stores.

Quick reminder for fans in Latin America: You can see an hour from the ‘Remember That Night’ concert on HBO tonight, with repeats next week and Christmas week. Click here for all the necessary details (for Brazil, just to give you an example, so do check your own country’s page).

Be sure to also click the Vídeo tab for some ‘interesting’ animation.

I leave you for another week with some questions regarding the David Gilmour Signature Strat, which will be launched sometime next year. We’ve no updates for you concerning its manufacture, unfortunately. As soon as there’s news to report, it will be here.

Have a good weekend, everyone.

The little button on the black Strat, that combines the neck and bridge pickup (so I read some where, is it true?): is it going to be on the David Gilmour Strat? (Graham Knight)

Yes, it will be on the Fender David Gilmour Strat.

Will the Gilmour Strat become a staple of Fender’s, i.e. like the Clapton and S.R.V. models have? (Randall Yeager)

That is the plan. It is not meant to be a limited edition. David has insisted that it is a really good replica in terms of its sound, set-up, playability and looks – and that it should be affordable. He will not let Fender make a limited edition, to be purchased and put away by a few who can afford it as an investment.

Is the black Strat body made of two pieces of alder? (GianLuca)

I don’t know, it seems to be covered in black paint.

How are the pickups on David’s black Strat wired to the pickup selector? (Andrew McHarg)

See my book, ‘The Black Strat’, for this information.

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: COMPETITION WINNER ANNOUNCED (16/11/07)

Frank Par wins a signed copy of ‘The Black Strat’.

Well done, Frank. Please let us know where we should send your prize.

Phil Taylor’s book, ‘The Black Strat: A History Of David Gilmour’s Black Fender Stratocaster’, can now be ordered from TheBlackStrat.com. This is the only way to obtain one at present. You cannot order it anywhere else, although this could well change in the not-too-distant future. I’ll keep you updated on that.

Written to accompany Fender’s long-awaited Gilmour Signature Strat, the book is a must-have for guitarist and non-guitarist alike, owing to its magazine-style mix of photos (there are many never-before-seen shots) and facts. There’s also plenty of technical detail and history.

This Strat will not be available this year. However, when it does become available, should you wish to purchase one, you will also get a copy of Phil’s book, a copy of the ‘Remember That Night’ DVD and a set of GHS strings, all housed in a special case.

Courtesy of Phil, I have a signed copy of ‘The Black Strat’ for you to win.

To be in with a shout, just visit TheBlackStrat.com and take any one word from the homepage, looking carefully at the title. Then post it here, with your daily comment.

No more than one word, no need to explain why you chose it, but please make your chosen word very clear.

Those who opt for the word that I have chosen will be entered into a raffle, with one name selected at random on Friday, when the winner will be announced.

One entry per person only, please. Entries must be submitted by 9.30AM (UK), Friday 16 November.

Good luck.

Once you’ve done that, please click here, see the bottom-left of the page, and vote responsibly. Planet Rock hope to determine the Best (Living) Guitarist, and we all remember ‘Comfortably Numb’, ‘Echoes’ and ‘Take A Breath’ from last year’s tour, don’t we?

And, once you’ve done all that, you can enjoy some more of Phil’s answers to your questions.

I heard you removed the Alembic Pre from this rig this tour. I work at Guitar Center and one morning I see that we all are looking for a vintage one because you called… or something along those lines. Why was it removed and is it going back now? (Matt Surdin)

It was not me who called, I have a few already. The modified Alembics are only used in David’s big Pink Floyd rig – which has not been out since 1994 – and another one with the Yamaha RA200 cabinet, last used in David’s barn earlier this year. See Polly’s photos.

I know David uses a big rack of effects, but, when I went to the Ritzy, he only used one amp and got his distinctive sound. What amp was it and were other effects used from the desk? (Anthony Green)

Get some new glasses. He used two amps: a 1958 Fender Tweed Twin and a 1958 Magnatone 280A, with one of his effects valve pedalboards that I had made.

I’m wondering how you made the black Strat so incredibly quiet on stage! What has changed since the last Pink Floyd tour, when David was still using EMG pickups? (Ben)

Nothing has changed on the guitar. The source of this problem is normally generated from the touring lighting and effects systems. This is picked up by the guitar’s single coil pickups and amplified as noise and interference. The improved designs these days mean that there are few problems. David has great control over his equipment and the way he uses it, and is very good at getting through a show with interference and masking it if needed.